Liam Neeson's Latest Action Thriller Honest Thief Debuts at #1 with $3.7 Million in North America; Meanwhile, Disney Guides Two Seasonal Re-Releases into the Top Five
by Chris Nashawaty - Box Office News
Oct. 19, 2020


Eight months ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic hobbled the movie business, every weekend felt like a heavyweight fight. Nowadays, each weekend is beginning to feel more like pillow fight.

Still, in what turned out to be another soft weekend at the box office, Liam Neeson’s latest action thriller, Honest Thief, pulled in $3.7 million at the domestic box office and claimed the title of the No. 1 movie in North America.

The new high-octane thriller from Open Road Films starring the ageless action star as a double-crossed bank robber with a conscience had a $1,525 per-screen average in 2,425 theaters. It added another $1.3 million abroad, helping to bring its one-week worldwide total to $5.5 million.

While Honest Thief received lukewarm reviews from critics, it seemed to connect with moviegoers, who gave the film an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.







Finishing in the runner-up spot in its second week, 101 Studios’ The War with Grandpa took in $2.5 million, dropping 31% from the previous frame. The PG-rated comedy starring Robert De Niro managed a $1,106 per-screen average in 2,260 theaters, bringing its North American box-office total to $7.3 million.

The kid-friendly comedy has tacked on an additional $3.5 million to date overseas, bringing its worldwide tally to $10.8 million.







In third place was Warner Bros.’ Tenet. In its seventh week of domestic release, Christopher Nolan’s aspirant blockbuster took in just $1.6 million, dropping 23.8% from the previous frame. The PG-13 epic managed a $799 per-screen average in 2,001 theaters, bringing its North American box-office total to $50.6 million.

As usual, Nolan’s film fared better overseas this weekend, where its international box-office tally now stands at $283.3 million, bringing its cumulative worldwide total to $333.9 million.







In fourth place was Disney’s new re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas. The Tim Burton-produced stop-motion animated classic, which initially opened in 1993, made $1.3 million in its first weekend back in theaters.

The macabre musical, which has become an annual favorite around the Halloween and Christmas holidays, earned $50 million in its initial run 27 years ago. Now, in its first week back in theaters in more than two decades, it managed a $603 per-screen average in 2,194 locations.

It has yet to be re-released internationally this year.







In fifth was yet another Disney re-release—which may be proof that the studio’s strategy of opening its vaults is paying off as big-ticket studio films keep pushing back their release dates.

In its third weekend back in theaters, the PG-rated comedy Hocus Pocus added another $756,000 in 1,640 theaters, earning a $460 per-screen average. Year to date, the witchy Bette Midler comedy’s re-release has pulled in $3.8 million.

It also added $26,733 internationally in the United Kingdom this weekend, its first in theaters overseas.







Simmering below those films were three other debuts that managed to claw their way into the Top 10:

Freestyle Releasing’s 2 Hearts, a PG-13-rated love story, opened in sixth place with $565,000 in 1,683 theaters, which translates to a $335 per-screen average.

Paramount’s Love and Monsters, a PG-13-rated post-apocalyptic romance, opened in ninth place with $255,000 in 387 theaters for a $658 per-screen average.

Stage 6’s The Kid Detective, an R-rated whodunit, opened in tenth with $135,000 in 865 theaters for a $156 per-screen average. None of those three have yet to open overseas.







Despite the weekend’s lackluster receipts, there was one bit of potential good news for studios and exhibitors as New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo gave the state’s movie theaters (outside of New York City, at least) a path to reopen at reduced capacity beginning on October 23.

New York’s theaters have been shuttered since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tune in next week to see what impact that announcement has on the box-office landscape.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2322596868/?ref_=bo_hm_hp







October 16-18, 2020: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Honest Thief $4,115,249
2. The War with Grandpa $2,506,523 / $7,260,855
3. Tenet $1,600,000 / $50,600,000
4. The Nightmare before Christmas $1,323,000
5. Hocus Pocus $756,000 / $3,842,000
6. 2 Hearts $522,937
7. The New Mutants $468,278 / $22,724,804
8. Unhinged $424,213 / $20,037,513
9. Love and Monsters $255,000
10. The Kid Detective $140,218

For some reason our local newspaper didn't give Honest Thief a very good review. Something about rooting for the bad guys and the good guys were all crooked. I can't remember the exact quotes. But I realize that's just the reviewers opinion. It sounded like it would be a good movie to me.

For some reason our local newspaper didn't give Honest Thief a very good review. Something about rooting for the bad guys and the good guys were all crooked. I can't remember the exact quotes. But I realize that's just the reviewers opinion. It sounded like it would be a good movie to me.

Yeah, the BoxOfficeMojo article made note of that where a lot of movie critics are bashing it but the movie-goers are loving it.

You are your own critic.

Liam Neeson's Action Thriller Honest Thief Holds On to the Top Spot Despite Slow Second Weekend
by Chris Nashawaty - Box Office News
Oct. 26, 2020


The “Dadsploitation” genre continues to be very good to Liam Neeson as the aging action star’s latest thriller, Honest Thief, remained in the top spot in its second weekend with $2.4 million in North America.

In what turned out to be another lackluster weekend at the stateside box office, the high-octane, PG-13-rated picture from Open Roads Films, starring the action star as a double-crossed bank robber with a conscience, had a $939 per-screen average in 2,502 theaters, bringing its total domestic haul to $7.5 million.

However, the film dropped off 42.9% from the previous frame. Abroad, Honest Thief has racked up $3.3 million to date, bringing its worldwide box-office total to $10.8 million.







The soft numbers come despite the fact that the film added screens in the wake of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to allow movie theaters outside of New York City to re-open on October 23 at reduced capacity.

Although theaters in most US markets are currently open for business (albeit in limited form), the major markets of New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco remain closed due the COVID pandemic. Additionally, 536 Regal Cinemas theaters are still dark after shutting their doors on October 8.







Finishing in the runner-up spot again in its third week, 101 Studios’ The War with Grandpa took in $1.9 million, dropping 24.9% from the previous frame. The PG-rated comedy starring Robert De Niro managed a $802 per-screen average in 2,345 theaters, bringing its North American box-office total to $9.7 million.

The kid-friendly comedy has tacked on an additional $4.1 million overseas, bringing its worldwide tally to $13.8 million.







In third place was Warner Bros.’ Tenet. In its eighth week of domestic release, Christopher Nolan’s epic took in $1.3 million , dropping 18.8% from the previous session.

The PG-13 epic managed a $721 per-screen average in 1,801 theaters, bringing its North American box-office total to $52.5 million . Not surprisingly, Nolan’s film fared better overseas this weekend, where its international box-office tally now stands at $289 million, bringing its cumulative worldwide total to $341.5 million.







In fourth place was 20th Century Studios’ The Empty Man. In its debut weekend, the R-rated horror thriller starring James Badge Dale as an ex-cop battling a group bent on summoning a supernatural force opened to $1.3 million.

Playing in 2,027 theaters, the film earned a $624 per-screen average. It has not yet opened internationally.







In fifth, Disney’s re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas scared up $577,000 in its second weekend back in theaters. The PG-rated stop-motion, animated classic from Tim Burton, which initially opened in 1993, fell 56.4% in its second frame. Playing in 1,614 theaters, it earned a $357 per-screen average.

It was one of three deja-vu re-releases from Disney that managed to land in the Top 10 this weekend, along with 1993’s witchy comedy Hocus Pocus (No. 6 with $530,000) and 2001’s Monsters, Inc. (No. 7 with $494,000).







Also of note, bubbling under the Top 5 this weekend was the debut of Open Road’s After We Collided, which opened domestically at No. 8. The YA romance came out of the gate with $420,000 in 460 locations—good enough for a $913 per-screen average.

Internationally, the film has added $45.6 million to date since its opening in September, bringing its worldwide cumulative total to $46 million.







In other box-office news, this past week saw three more high-profile future releases pushing their opening days back due to the ongoing coronavirus threat.

Universal’s Candyman and Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife will now bow in the summer of 2021, while MGM’s Legally Blonde 3 has been bumped until 2022.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2305819652/?ref_=bo_hm_hp







October 23-25, 2020: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Honest Thief $2,354,022 / $7,480,296
2. The War with Grandpa $1,913,169 / $9,750,216
3. The Empty Man $1,310,326
4. Tenet $1,300,000 / $52,500,000
5. The Nightmare before Christmas $577,000 / $1,900,000
6. Hocus Pocus $530,000 / $4,372,000
7. Monsters, Inc. $494,000
8. After We Collided $422,899 / $2,075,172
9. 2 Hearts $319,010 / $988,832
10. The Addams Family $282,841